Shamrock Rovers vs TNS Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Conference League | League Phase

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For a second successive UEFA Europa Conference League match day, Shamrock Rovers are taking on a club from Britain as they welcome Welsh champions The New Saints to Dublin this week after both have enjoyed positive starts to their European campaign. 

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Thursday 7th November, 2024 - UK – 5:45pm / US ET – 12:45pm / US PT – 9:45am

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

SHAMROCK ROVERS PREVIEW: QUALIFICATION BECKONS

Shamrock Rovers already surpassed pre-season expectations by even qualifying for the league phase of the UEFA Europa Conference League and the Irish champions, who recently missed out on defending on the League of Ireland title to Shelbourne at the weekend, have collected four points from their opening two matches.

Shamrock began their UEFA Europa Conference League league phase with a 1-1 draw against APOEL Nicosia with a last-gasp equaliser in that game before then turning over Northern Irish champions Larne by four goals to one at Windsor Park in Belfast thanks to strikes from Joshua Honohan, Johnny Kenny, Graham Burke and an own goal scored by Tomas Cosgrove. 

TNS PREVIEW: HISTORY FOR TNS

Even more surprising and simply than Shamrock Rovers qualifying for the UEFA Europa Conference League would be The New Saints’ first ever ‘proper’ European campaign. TNS have won the Cymru Premier a record 16 times and they have won the league title in every year since the 2011/12 campaign.

They began their ‘proper’ European season with a defeat against Fiorentina at the Artemio Franchi at the beginning of last month in a game in which TNS had frustrated I Viola for over an hour. A couple of weeks ago, the Welsh champions then pulled off an upset to defeat Kazakh champions Astana by two goals to one. 

SHAMROCK ROVERS TEAM NEWS: COUPLE OF INJURIES

Former Bristol Rovers man Trevor Clarke remains sidelined with a calf injury for Shamrock, whilst striker Rory Gaffney is also unavailable for the hosts.

They do not have any fresh injury concerns ahead of this one against TNS, though, so they would be able to name an unchanged eleven as a result.

PREDICTED XI (3-4-1-2): Pohls; Cleary, Lopes, Grace; Burns, McEneff, Poom, Honohan; Mandroiu; Burke, Kenny

UNAVAILABLE: Clarke (Injured), Gaffney (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

TNS TEAM NEWS: INJURY ISSUES

Much like Shamrock Rovers, TNS have a couple of injury concerns for this one with the injury absentees being defensive ones as both Ryan Astles and Matthew Olosunde are out.

United States international Olosunde joined TNS in the summer but he has only been able to make one appearance for the club due to his injury issues. 

PREDICTED XI (4-3-3): Roberts; Daniels, Davies, Bodenham, Redmond; Smith, Williams; Holden, McManus, Brobbel

UNAVAILABLE: Astles (Injured), Olosunde (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

SHAMROCK ROVERS VS TNS PREDICTION

Such is the new expanded 36-team formats implemented in this season’s UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League; qualification is a lot easier with a top 24 going into the knockout playoffs and Shamrock Rovers will sense a massive opportunity as a win takes them to seven points. TNS will also fancy their chances of frustrating Shamrock, especially as they did frustrate Fiorentina, one of Europe’s most in-form sides, for over an hour. Given that, backing a low-scoring home win seems the best bet for this one.

SHAMROCK ROVERS VS TNS TIP: SHAMROCK ROVERS TO WIN & UNDER 3.5 GOALS